SARALAND, Alabama The Saraland school board will have a special meeting Monday, at which they are expected to select a contractor to begin work on an additional wing at Saraland Elementary School.
The was planned so that a new wing would be a relatively straightforward addition. The extra space is necessary, said Superintendent Aaron Milner, because the new school is already full, with nearly 1,000 students.
Because of the growth, Saraland Elementary will earn four to six teacher units for the 2014-15 school year, Milner said, and we have to have somewhere to put those teachers.
Pending approval by the board, the contractor is expected to begin work in late February to early March, Milner said, with the goal of having the new wing ready for classes in August.
At the meeting Monday, Milner will also ask the board to approve the construction of a connecting hall from the main building of the middle school to a fifth-grade wing. Currently, the area is an open, covered walkway.
School officials would prefer to have the walkway enclosed, Milner said, to ensure overall safety and also to ensure students comfort in inclement weather.
For security purposes, this will allow us to lock down the entire building and have immediate access to children in the event of an emergency, he said.
The school board will also be asked to approve the 2014-15 academic calendar, which, Milner said, was overwhelmingly chosen by the system s 265 administrators, faculty and support staff.
About 95 percent of the employees selected the calendar, he said, which will have the fall semester tests conducted before the Christmas break and will have the school year ending before Memorial Day. The calendar also includes 11 professional development days and workdays during the summer break.
The school board will meet at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 13, at the school board office at 943 Highway 43 S. in Saraland. The meeting is open to the public.